Clutch and brake control for automotive vehicles



S. G. GHURYE Dec. 19, 1950 CLUTCH AND BRAKE CONTROL FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Oct. 14, 1949 INVENTOR SUDHISH G. GHUEYE,

Umzdm ATTORNEYS Fatented Dec. 1956 o LU'ieH Alte- BRAKE Cowman i e-It AUTOMGTIVE VEHICLES Amsiiesfiort out-Bee 14, 1949; Serial, Ni); 121 356 maxim-somber 5,1943

ZCIiifiiE.

This invention relates to a; clutclgand-bxake control-foran automotive vehicle'; and more pantie-glarly to a eliitch-and-brake-cgntrol a'ssernblx utilizing a single,- driv1gperafed; lever or pedal; to successively operate the vehicle clutch and ake ,i .M .M V t lt is among the obiects; of theinvention to providean improved plutch-and -;bial e-contro1 as; s embl y which utilizes single driver-operated leyeror pedal to operate the clutch and brakes Qt mwo i i hifl n mi ij q e the clutch is first released ndme bfa-kes sub} seq ien tl'y applied, and' the bfaks afe' fliased and: the clutch siiBsedIIntIj engaged, ye'titl'ie" pgdal or levef is fiot'siibjected totlfie foi'qe the clutch-engaging spring and thebfak feleasf i'ng spiingfat the same time, which as mmy si'inpl and" diifabl in cdnlstiii'c'tior'iand can be r' ria'terial fnodificatidn of A e ema e tibn, or" can be readilj incorporatedasa com 5 omi 'ed' s shown in auteushaft It is jdi'ii iia'ied.- While" thefans;

forcing;- bars 21 and zz iiiair be of any dsire'd structural shaipg bais of channel-iron shape, illustrated;- haveben found to provide eXdllefit resultsin' use:

A'- drivei operated' pedal 23- is jou'rna-lecl termediate its length ori the-shaft l8 lii'etwenthe remrorcm g= bars 21 and This pedal h s} at its upper end; an-angularly projecting extn sio'n 24- whichextends through a suitable open ing'"-"- in the vehicle floor boards diagrammaticalli indicated at 25, and carries on its end a pivotali'y mounted footpad;- 2ir.- I 7' Abearing pin 2''! is; journaled inzbearings: car" ried respectively by the-- bars? I, andi? at a'1QCfiQ- tionspaced frommile shaft 1-8 and preferably located ashort; distance ahead ofthe frame crossmember l6 Alex/e328 is'se curedthis pin 21 petween th'e bags-2 and-22 and projects" fi pnithe pin forwardly between tlie'hafsa An elongated extension 29 on the pedalZ-3; extends from the shaft [8 to alocation-adjacent the-front em the lever 2 8 and; an arcuately-curved fini 21 30 projects upwardly f rom the extension tH ibafivafd end ofthelattei substantially perpendicular to the extension, and normally engages, at its upper end, the lever arm 28 near the front end of the latter.

A counter-weight 3| is attached to the pedal extension 29 near the finger 30 and acts to balance the weight of the pedal.

The pin 2'! extends through the inner reinforcing bar 2| toward the universal joint IA of the vehicle, and a second arm 32 is secured on the pin at this inner end thereof. The angular relationship between the lever arms 23 and 32 is such that these two lever arms, together with the pin 2! constitute a bell crank for operating the vehicle clutch. A lever arm 33 is secured on the clutch-operating shaft [8 against the outer end of the boss l9 and depends downwardly from this shaft, and an adjustable link 34 is connected between the free ends of the lever arms 32 and 33, so that the clutch will be disengaged when the bell crank is turned in one direction, and will be engaged when the bell crank is turned in the opposite direction.

When the pedal 23 is in its clutch-engaging, brake-releasing position, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the upper end of the finger 39 underlies the lever arm 28 at the forward end of the latter, so that depression of the pedal by the driver will rotate this lever arm upwardly and rearwardly, turning the bell crank in a clutch-releasing position. As soon as the lever arm 28 has been turned an amount sufficient to completely release the clutch, the upper end of the finger 30 moves to the outer end of the lever arm 28, as illustrated in Figure 4, so that no further movement is imparted to the lever arm 28. The rearward surface 35 of the finger 33 i curved on an arc centered on the axis of the shaft I8, so that any further movement of the pedal 23, after the clutch has been fully engage, will merely hold the lever arm 28 in its clutch-releasing position without imparting any further movement thereto.

A brake lever 36 is journaled at one end on the shaft l 8 between the inner reinforcing bar 2! and the clutch-housing boss l9 and has, at one end, a perpendicular offset 37 which underlies the shank of the pedal 23 and i engaged by the pedal shank after the pedal ha been moved an amount sufficient to fully release the vehicle clutch. An arm 38 depends from the brake lever 36 at the end of the latter journaled on the shaft l8, and an adjustable link 39 connects the free or distal end of the arm 33 to the forward end of the brake master cylinder plunger 28, so that when the brake lever is depressed, the master cylinder will be operated to apply the vehicle brakes. This arrangement is thus effective to first release the vehicle clutch and to subsequently apply the vehicle brakes when the pedal 23 is brought to the position illustrated in Figure 5.

When the pressure on the pedal 23 is released, the usual brake and clutch springs will return the pedal to its initial position, first permitting the brake lever 36 to move to a position, as illustrated 'in Figures l and 3, in which the vehicle brakes are fully released, and subsequently permitting the bell crank lever arm 28 to move to the position illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 in which the vehicle clutch is fully engaged.

There is thus provided an assembly by means of which the clutch and brakes of an automotive vehicle are consecutively operated by a single, driver-operated element, such as a foot pedal.

This arrangement not only reduces the possibility of confusion in driving an automobile vehicle, and the amount of highly developed skill necessary for such driving, but permits efficient and accurate control of the clutch and brakes of an automotive vehicle by a disabled person having only one leg or foot which can be effectively used for this purpose.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristic thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. Manually operated means for sequentially releasing a vehicle clutch and applying vehicle brakes comprising a supporting frame, shafts journaled in said frame in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other, a manually movable lever pivotally mounted intermediate its length on one of said shafts, means biasing said manually movable lever to a predetermined rotational position relative to said one shaft, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted intermediate its length on the other of said shafts for rotational movements about the axis of the latter, an arcuately curved finger on one end of said manually movable lever engageable with the distal end of one leg of said bell crank lever to rotate said bell crank lever to a predetermined angular extent upon movement of said manually movable lever to a predetermined angular extent in one direction from said predetermined position and to then hold said bell crank lever against return movement during further movement of said manually operated lever in the same direction, means extending from the other leg of said bell crank lever for connecting the latter to a vehicle clutch operating mechanism, and a vehicle brake operating lever rotatably mounted on said oneshaft and having an offset engageable by said manually movable lever at the end of said predetermined extent of angular movement of the latter to move said brake operating lever in a brake operating direction upon continued movement of said manually movable lever beyond said predetermined angular extent.

2. Manually operated means for sequentially releasing a vehicle clutch and applying vehicle brakes comprising shafts disposed in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other, a foot pedal pivotally mounted intermediate its length on one of said shafts, means biasing said foot pedal to a predetermined rotational position relative to said one shaft, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted intermediate its length on the other of said shafts, means on one end of said foot pedal engaging the distal end of one le of said bell crank lever to rotate said bell crank lever to a predetermined angular extent upon movement of said foot pedal to a predetermined angular extent in One direction away from said predetermined position and to then hold said bell crank lever against return movement during further movement of said foot pedal in the same direction, means extending from the other end of said bell crank lever for connecting the latter to a vehicle clutch operating mechanism, and a brak operating lever disposed adjacent said foot pedal and engaged by the latter for movement in a brake applying direction upon movement of said foot pedal in the same direction beyond said predetermined angular extent.

3. Means for sequentially releasing a vehicle clutch and applying vehicle brakes comprising a vehicle supported shaft, a foot pedal pivotally mounted intermediate its length on said shaft, means connected to said foot pedal biasing the latter to a predetermined angular position relative to said shaft, a vehicle supported lever adjacent said foot pedal, means on one end of said foot pedal engaging one end of said lever and moving the latter to a predetermined angular extent unon movement of said foot pedal to a predetermined angular extent from said predetermined angular position, said means holding said lever against return movement during iurther movement of said foot pedal in the same direction Without imparting further movement to said lever, means extending from said lever for connecting the latter to clutch operating mechanism, and a vehicle supported brake operating lever disposed adjacent said foot pedal and engaged by the latter at the end of said predetermined extent of angular movement, said brake operating lever being moved in its brake applying direction by movement of said foot pedal in the same direction beyond said predetermined angular extent.

SUDHISH G. GHURYE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

